When was the last time you spent a day without your phone close to hand?
Well, in a bid to get away from the fast pace of modern day life I ventured to Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire with my mum Laura.
I’d heard about the spa years ago but never found chance to visit.
It’s located around a 15-minute taxi ride from Leicester train station, with the rail journey taking just over an hour if you’re coming from London.
The hall’s setting is sublime, with the imposing red brick building bobbing in a sea of fields running as far as the eye can see.
Mum and I arrived at the hall around 1pm for an ‘Overnight Reviver’ break.
This package includes lunch, a 50-minute spa treatment, dinner, a night’s stay and lunch the next day before you leave.
It also, as with all of the break options, includes access to the sprawling spa areas and gym.
Mum and I were directed to the wood-pannelled main dining room before checking in.
If you’ve never been to a spa, prepare to be comfortable sashaying around in a robe.
We were still in our day clothes, but everyone around us in the restaurant was dressed in towel dressing gowns and flip flops (provided to you when you arrive at the hall).
We settled in to a table close to the window before getting stuck into the bountiful buffet. I was impressed by the range of choice, with dishes to suit all tastes, from perfectly cooked cuts of fresh broccoli, to slices of smoked fish and slithers of smoking hot meat.
The table service was swift and efficient, with bread rolls and water offered as accompaniments to our lunch feast.
Keen to get exploring, we checked into our rather grand room – number two on the first floor – and did a quick costume change into our robes.
Ragdale Hall is a bit of a rabbit warren and it’s necessary to keep a map to hand.
There are more than 100 guest rooms and 49 treatment rooms, to give you some idea of the size!
To begin with, we ventured to the lofty heated outdoor infinity pool, which boasts magnificent views over the landscaped gardens and rolling countryside.
After soaking up the views and experiencing some invigorating massage jets, we went on to the thermal spa, which features various rooms for you to relax in.
There are different things lurking in each room, including a ‘volcanic salt bath’ in one, a ‘colourflow cave’ in another and one of the more mysterious ones featuring steps leading down to a candle-lit pool.
My favourite room was the ‘rose sauna’, with a good temperature and rosy hues creating an inviting environment.
One feature I noticed in the spa area, were little shelves for people to leave their glasses to prevent them from steaming up.
This attention to detail runs throughout Ragdale Hall.
From fresh slices of orange in the water jugs to lucky shamrocks powdered on the top of the cappuccinos and handy plug sockets by the bed, there are small touches running throughout the place, which promise to impress. The different luxury wallpapers wrapping around the building also guarantee to catch your eye!
Before dinner, mum and I checked in for our 50-minute treatments.
I was told by my friendly masseuse that the treatment would consist of a 25 minute back massage and 25 minute Elemis facial.
This combination worked well and I found myself falling asleep as the facial took place.
Unlike lunch, dinner at Ragdale Hall features a set menu. (Most people also choose to ditch their robes and get a little dolled up).
The night we dined, there was extensive list of things to choose from.
Getting into the healthy swing of the things, I went for a caprese / heritage tomato medley to start followed by a super grain salad bowl packed with seaweed, asparagus, purple potato and tofu for mains.
Mum meanwhile went for roasted asparagus as her first course, followed up by a medium rare hunk of sirloin steak.
To further induce the feeling of relaxation, mum and I were pleased to see that alcohol isn’t forbidden at Ragdale.
There’s a decent wine offering and there are different cocktails available at the Garden Room bar and Verandah bar.
The quality of food at Ragdale was far superior than I imagined, with dishes well presented and flavoursome. Mum and I swiftly cleared our plates.
We were tempted by the dessert menu – the Ragdale Sundae ice cream certainly caught my eye – but we decided to be good and venture to the Venrandah lounge for a cocktail.
After a lovely time in the exquisitely furnished lounge we ventured to our twin, garden-facing bedroom.
The beds at Ragdale Hall are completely dreamy – if you like soft mattresses that is – and I felt like I was floating on a cloud as I drifted away to the land of nod.
A knock at the door roused mum and I the next morning. The Overnight Reviver package also comes with the option of breakfast in bed. Yes please!
A lady swiftly entered with our options neatly arranged on two wooden trays and we indulgently tucked into our morning feast.
In a bid to explore a different nook of Ragdale, mum and I ventured to the gym after breakfast. There was a good mix of workout equipment and free classes were also on offer, with zumba and pilates in full swing as we passed by.
Before bidding the hall goodbye, we took a dip in the lovely outdoor rock pool and indulged in one more lunchtime buffet.
‘This was just what I needed,’ mum said, summing up her night’s stay at Ragdale Hall.
I couldn’t have agreed more.
With today’s life all go, go, go, a spa break with you’re nearest and dearest is one of the best ways to stop and catch breath.
So, if you’re feeling stressed and manic, I encourage you to ditch your phone and don a robe. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results…
Ragdale Hall Spa is located at Ragdale Village, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3PB
To book a stay call 01664 434831 or email enquiries@ragdalehall.co.uk
